Professional Documents
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Volume 13 Article 19
2000
Recommended Citation
Stoeber, Michael (2000) "Book Review: "Hindu Thought & Carmelite Mysticism"," Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies: Vol. 13, Article
19.
Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1239
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Stoeber: Book Review: "Hindu Thought & Carmelite Mysticism"
50 Book Reviews
I
and crucifixion of the divine being. Divine by theirs. Indeed, one wonders just where
and human suffering is granted a spiritual Siddheswarananda's own Hindu dogmas and
I significance in traditional Catholicism that is credos enter into those core "extra-religious"
foreign to Hinduism, given the traditional experiences which provide for him the
emphasis on the uniqueness of the incarna- unifying ground of the various mystical
tion and the essential nature of Christ's traditions. Moreover, it remains unclear in
redemptive suffering. So Siddheswarananda his lectures just how those core Advaitic
can speak provocatively of Ramalcrishna's truths can provide, as he suggests, a
"non-Christian" experience of Christ in coherent basis for bhakti yoga.
contrast with that of the Christian. Christian But the book should prove to be a
mystical experience requires "as an article of remarkably interesting and helpful resource.
faith the dogmas and credo of the Church" It touches on a wide variety of issues and
(91). . themes in quite thoughtful ways, including a
In his critical reflections on these and notably eloquent comparative exploration of
other differences Swami Siddheswarananda mystical love, as well as an intriguing
illustrates how a detailed understanding of analysis of the epistemological dynamics of
the doctrinal context of one's dialogue different degrees of contemplation. William
partner is crucial in fully appreciating her or Buchanan has also included in his
his spiritual view. He also underscores the translation helpful glossaries of Sanskrit
extent to which the socio-religious context words, people, and sources, which adds to
of mystics enter into their experiences, thus the book's appeal as a text in upper-level
insightfully prefiguring contemporary con- undergraduate or graduate seminars on
textual views of mystical experience. Yet he comparative mysticism.
seems a bit naive and inconsistent in the way
in which he feels that certain Hindu mystics Michael Stoeber
are somehow free of their doctrinal contexts, Regis College, Toronto
while Christian mystics remain constrained
http://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol13/iss1/19 2
DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1239